Bill Ambrose reports that although a human mission to Mars is the focus of much current discussion, a host of technical challenges for safe and successful future human settlement of Mars have yet to be addressed. These challenges include:
1) risks of ionizing radiation during long-term transit in interplanetary space,
2) aerobraking in the Martian atmosphere with potential Mars lander instabilities,
3) surface radiation and weather hazards, and
4) resource extraction.
These challenges can be quickly and more cost-effectively addressed with lunar missions that involve similar tasks to those on Mars construction of living facilities, in situ resource utilization (ISRU), and protection from radiation both during transit and residence. Technology for shallow-subsurface habitations to reduce radiation and temperature flux has already been developed for the Moon. These habitations include inflatable dome structures and sinterhabs composed of lunar regolith fabricated on the lunar surface.
Other shallow-subsurface habitations can be located in collapsed lava tubes, both of which occur on the Moon and Mars. Stress testing of these habitats on the Moon can result in more resilient structures for Mars. Lessons learned from resource extraction on the Moon can also be applied to Mars. Ice exists on both the Moon and Mars and can serve as raw material for both breathing atmosphere and for rocket fuel. Lunar metals such as titanium, magnesium, and iron occur in basaltic mare, and along with helium-3 and hydrogen (potential sources of rocket fuel), as well as thorium (potential power source) might be mined with currently available technology.
Lunar orbital depots for fuel and life-support materials have benefits for mission economics and can also serve as temporary storage areas for materials transport to Earth surface. Future advances in technology and planetary engineering on the Moon, a perfect proving ground, will offer humans a steppingstone to Mars and beyond.
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